-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Evangelical pastor Ted Haggard described Thursday as `` fundamentally true '' an assertion that he engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 20-year-old male volunteer in 2006 .

Pastor Ted Haggard acknowledged on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' that he had a second relationship with a man .

The incident occurred when the two men were in bed together , Grant Haas said in a videotaped interview played on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . ''

`` He pretty much asked me if it was OK if he masturbated in front of me or masturbated in the bed next to me , '' Haas said . `` I told him no , it would make me really uncomfortable . But he grabbed a bottle of lotion and started masturbating . ''

Haas added , '' -LRB- Haggard -RRB- used to say to me , ` You know what , Grant , you can become a man of God , and you can have a little bit of fun on the side . ''

Haggard , 52 , said the incident was `` an indicator of the compulsive behavior '' that ruled him at the time . However , he said he has been undergoing therapy during the two years since and `` working it out . '' Watch Haggard accuser speak out ''

Controversy involving Haggard first erupted in November 2006 , when a former prostitute , Mike Jones , said the pastor had paid him for sex over three years and had used methamphetamine in his presence .

Haggard initially admitted in interviews that he received a massage from Jones but denied having sex with him . He also said he bought methamphetamine , but threw it away instead of using it .

The assertions received widespread news coverage and sparked charges of hypocrisy , particularly because Haggard had condemned homosexual sex . Watch Haggard address allegations on Oprah ''

Haggard is the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals , which claims to represent millions of people in 45,000 congregations nationwide . He was also the head pastor at New Life Church .

In a settlement with New Life , the church and Haggard agreed that he would retain his six-figure salary for a year , leave the Colorado Springs area , receive counseling and not speak publicly about what had happened for one year , according to a church staff member with knowledge of the settlement but who was not authorized to speak on the record .

In the CNN interview , Haggard credited Jones with having helped him by disclosing that information .

`` I think he rescued me . I 'm very grateful to him , '' Haggard said . He said he would have lost the support of his wife of 30 years , Gail , and their five children `` and been a drug addict '' had he not been caught .

`` I paid a heavy price . It was stupid , '' he said .

Haggard likened his struggles with his desires to the struggles faced by dieters who say , '' ` I 'm not going to eat today ' and then they eat . ''

`` Many of the charges against me are exaggerated , but it does n't matter , '' Haggard told Larry King . `` I 'm guilty enough of so many things . ''

He acknowledged that his actions were hypocritical , but said he could not control his urges .

`` I felt like God 's plan was for sexuality to be in a monogamous , heterosexual marriage , '' he said . `` I wanted that . But at the same time , I had these other things going on . ''

Haggard said he had thought that focusing on his spiritual life would help , but found that it did not . `` It actually made me worse , '' he said .

Haggard said that , for a time , he lost the ability to read the Scriptures and became suicidal . `` I think it was divine intervention that stopped me , '' he said .

Asked if he has engaged in inappropriate conduct with any other men , Haggard did not give a direct answer , saying only , `` I have thoroughly discussed all of my sexual history with my wife and my therapist and , to some degree , the family , and we think that 's an appropriate boundary for that . ''

Asked whether he considers himself bisexual or gay , Haggard said that different therapists have described him in different ways . `` The first said , ` You are a heterosexual with homosexual attachments . ' I was n't sure what that meant . ''

His current therapist , he said , described him as `` a heterosexual with complications . ''

Haggard said he has , at least , another year of therapy ahead of him .

`` I think I 'm still deeply wounded and scarred and somewhat confused , '' he said . About other men , he added , `` I have thoughts from time to time , but not compelling thoughts . ''

Nevertheless , he said , `` Today , I 'm 100 percent satisfied with my relationship with my wife , and I have no compelling things in my life toward others . ''

He said he initially urged his wife to leave him , but she refused .

`` I really do love this man , '' she told CNN when asked why she did not leave . But it was also her faith that led her to stick with the marriage , she said . `` The teaching of Jesus is that we forgive and that we love . ''

She said the two had `` a great sexual relationship in our marriage ... throughout marriage . ''

Though the news of his unfaithfulness came as a shock , it was n't completely out of the blue , she said . `` I knew that Ted had some struggles in this area , particularly in his thoughts . I never knew that he acted on them . ''

Marcus Haggard , the couple 's 25-year-old son , said he , too , was shocked by the revelations , but was more disturbed to learn that his father had lied . Still , he said the news brought the family closer together .

`` He had lived so long on a pedestal , '' Marcus Haggard said about his famous father . `` He seemed practically perfect . There was a sense of relief in the fact that we could connect with our dad . ''

Asked if he wants to return to the pulpit , Haggard said , `` I think Gail and I both want to tell our story to the degree that it 's helpful to other people . I do n't know that that would mean a pulpit , but certainly I 'd be interested in public speaking . ''

His appearance Thursday coincided with the debut of an HBO documentary called `` The Trial of Ted Haggard . ''

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Pastor Ted Haggard acknowledges 2006 relationship with 20-year-old male

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Accuser alleges Haggard masturbated in front of him

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Haggard claims incident was part of `` compulsive behavior '' that ruled him at the time

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Haggard admits he still has thoughts of other men